Heart of Gold
by AkatsukiZSama
Summary: Kisame is 7-years-old when he meets the only girl who ever treated him good. She was like a sister to him. But then he hurt her, and left to go to the Akatsuki. Now the only surviving Katana-weilding Kunochi of the mist is after him. And in the Akatsuki.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1 – Childhood friends.

A seven-year-old Kisame Hoshigaki starred ahead of him as his sensei led the class to the exam stadium. More like a massive grave yard, Kisame thought. All over, the remains of previous students who did not pass were marked by stones and sticks set up in various arrays, some looming far into the tree tops. Others were no taller than Kisame's foot. But they all marked the fate that awaited the new students when they would enter into combat here: Death or victory. Only seven of them could pass on to become Chunin, and only males could participate in the killing exam. The females were just to valuable, and had to immobilize the others to pass.

All of them were here now, and they looked on in terror, glad that they were of the weaker sex. Kisame laughed softly as he saw Zabuza pretending to be a big man and 'protecting' two young kunochi from the terrorizing stick statues. Looking about, he saw the same of most of the others as well, but one girl caught his attention. She was looking at a statue with great intrest and curiosity, seemingly unafraid. Quietly, Kisame came to stand beside her.

"If you think I'm scared of this silly thing, you're gravely mistaken." She looked at him with the most beautiful eyes Kisame had ever seen. He shook his head.

"Oh, I know you're not scared. What's your name girl?" Her eyes softened a bit and she smiled at him.

"Keilala. Yours?"

"Kisame." She stepped back from the statue and looked up at it again, sighing. Kisame thought it sounded much like an ocean breeze.

"This statue belongs to the grave of my older brother…. I…. I never got a chance to wish him luck, and tell him that I loved him before he left. He was in to much of a hurry to get here." A tear fell from her eye and the young shark-like boy just starred, mesmerized. He never knew a girl could be so…. Beautiful.

"I'm sorry about that." She smiled at him again and he felt his heart thump in his chest. "H-hey, you wanna hang out after training's done, Keilala?"

"Sure! That'd be fun!" Her smile got even wider as she walked beside him. Suddenly, a ball of dirt and stones hit Kisame right in the face. "Kisame!"

"Hahahaha! Serves the freak right!! It's just what he needs… I good wallop to the face!" Kisame looked up to see Zabuza grinning like a wildcat. Rage filled him, until suddenly, Keilala took a stone that was nearby and flung it with uncanny accuracy at Zabuza's head. A thunk vibrated in everyone's ears as it hit home, and Zabuza was sent home, crying.

"Serves you right, you bully!" Keilala seemed very upset, so Kisame put his hand on her shoulder. She turned and saw a few bruises on his face. "Those stones in that dirtball hit you pretty hard…" Her hand touched his face gently and they were healed. It wasn't the fact that she had been nice enough to heal him that made him stop and stare, but her soft, gentle touch.

"Th-thank you, Keilala-chan." He smiled sheepishly at her and blushed a bit. Training went on normally from there, and then Kisame and Keilala went off to find a good place to just talk. "Keilala… How come you're so nice to me? Everyone else is afraid of me or hates me."

"Well, they don't know you, do they? Besides, I know how it is."

"You do?" He looked at her curiously. How could such a beautiful creature know how it felt to be feared, hated, and dispised by a whole village. She nodded.

"Ever since I was born, I've had a… a problem…." She looked down at the grassy ground and sighed. "When ever I get upset by something huge, I become a very different creature…. A monster…" He waited for her to go on. "When my brother was killed, that was the last time. I became so upset that I nearly killed my parents. The boy who killed my brother came in to stop me, and once he was dead, I calmed down and went back to normal." So, that was it. "Now my family hates me and won't come near me. I've been thrown out of my home, and I live in this forest now."

"Well, my hut has room for two. Come and live with me."

"What about your…?"

"Parents? Don't have none." She smiled and nodded at him. Then they walked to get her things, hand in hand.

_Five days later…_

Kisame was finishing up his morning preperations for the exam. Today was the day, and there was no way in hell he was going to back down.

"Oi, Kisame.. Wait!" Keilala's voice called out from behind him and he turned. She hugged him warmly. "Good luck! Please be careful." He nodded.

"I sure will Keilala, thanks."

"Sure." They smiled at each other, then Kisame turned and walked to the stadium. He could hear Keilala yelling at all of the people who starred at them from behind, and he prayed to whatever entity was out there that he would come back alive and in one piece.

"Ladies and gentlemen! Please clear the stadium and make your way to the stands now!" The announcer called out in a loud, booming voice. This he repeated several times, until the stadium was clear. Then a second announcer, the sensei, came forward.

"All male students who qualify for the Chunin Exam are to enter the stadium now!" All of the students obeyed, and Kisame looked about in the stands. Keilala's face appeared in the front row, and she waved at him. He smiled, but knew that waving could possibly disqualify him.

"This is going to be short and not so sweet. Kill all of the other Genin until only seven of you are left. Ready? BEGIN!" Kisame whirled and gutted the first person nearest him. His target died instantly and he moved on to another, and another, and…

A whistle blew, signaling the end of the exam. Though bloody, battered and tired, Kisame was still alive. _I passed… I did it… _He smiled slightly, then went up to the front of the stadium. Zabuza and five other students were there already.

"Well, if it isn't the freak circus? Do you really think you can survive now that all of the kid gloves are off? Or did you just want to see your pretty little girlfriend one last time… before I fry you and feed you to the dogs for supper?" Zabuza laughed at him until Kisame punched his face. Amazingly, he also hit the bruise that Keilala had made five days earlier, and Zabuza fell to the ground, howling.

"GO KISAME!!! KICK HIS BUTT!!!!" Looking up, he laughed as Keilala jumed up and down, enjoying the pain Zabuza was in. Then, all seven were led to the front, and presented with seven swords.

"Choose one. But only take it if you can lift it." Everyone of the other boys ran and grabbed at the wrapped sword each in turn, but none could lift it. One by one, the other swords disappeared, and Kisame was left to get the wrapped one. _If they couldn't lift it, how can I…?_ He looked up to the stands and saw Keilala, and she was smiling down at him, giving him a thumbs-up. He took a hold of it and pulled. The sword lifted off of the ground easily and seemed to be meant just for him.

"Alright, the exam is over. Exams for the females will be tomorrow at the same time. Dismissed." All seven boys left the stadium, Zabuza and the others glaring at Kisame.

"How the hell a shrimp like you could lift that I'll never know." A stone flew through the air and smashed into Zabuza's face. As he cried out and tried to stem the blood flow, Keilala ran up, laughing.

"You're so stupid, Zabuza! If Kisame was a shrimp, he'd be short and pink, like you. Naw, Kisame is a shark!" He found himself to be rather fond of that comparison. Sharks were large and very strong, and ate shrimps like humans ate vegetables. Putting his arm around the kunochi's shoulders, he nodded towards the direction of their hut.

"Let's go home, Keilala-chan." She nodded and put her arm around his shoulders, and they walked home peacefully.

_The next morning…_

Keilala was up and ready to go. She stretched and made sure that everything was in proper working condition. Kisame stood by the hut, cleaning his new sword 'Samehada'.

"Kisame… any cleaner, and you won't want to use it in self defense even!" She giggled and hugged her hut-mate and best friend.

"Well, I'm just trying to make sure it's in good condition…" He smiled at her. She felt her heart skip a beat. That wonderful smile that made her feel so happy and safe… Just then, the whistle for the female exams cut the quiet morning. "Good luck, Keilala-chan… be careful, and come back with all of your pieces attatched."

"Sure will, Kisame! Thanks!" She hugged him again and rushed towards the stadium. Kisame would be there later, watching her just as she had watched him yesterday. Upon arriving, she waited as the stadium had to be cleared of all people mourning lost loved ones again. She felt as though she should back out, but then again… Her eyes wandered to the stadium, where she found Kisame smiling at her. She couldn't give up now, not ever.

"For this exam, you only need to immobilize your opponent for three minutes. Only seven females will be allowed to pass. GO!" Keilala used her camouflage technique to hide herself in the foliage. Within an hour, she had taken out over half her class single handedly. She wondered when the whistle would blow. It did so very suddenly and she walked to the front of the stadium. Kisame's relief and joy were eminent on his face. The sensei brought out seven katanas.

"The one that is meant for you will glow when you touch it." All of the girls ran for the sword with the golden dragon hilt, but it did not glow. One by one, Keilala watched as all of the other swords disappeared. She walked up and touched the golden sword. It glowed a very brilliant light, brighter than any of the other girls' katana's had. Picking it up, Keilala marveled at how light it seemed to be. "Keilala-san, place the sword in it's sheath, please."

She obeyed the command, then clipped the belt holding the sword to her waist. She called the sword Drago, and left the stage.

Outside, in the village square, Kisame awaited his friend eagerly.

"Keilala, that sword really set off a light display when you touched it. I had to look away." She smiled at him and felt the exhaustion of the day creep into her body.

"Kisame, let's head home. I think we still have some food left over, don't we?" He nodded. "I cook us something good tonight. We both made it."

_Three years later…_

Keilala looked down at the shark-like teen lying in the hospital bed before her. One eye flitted open and she smiled slightly.

"Kisame, are you alright?"

"Yeah… just a little sore… ow…." She shook her head, still smiling a bit.

"You need to stop pushing yourself so hard, you could die!" Kisame smiled up at her and brushed her hair from her face. His hand traced the line of her cheek affectionately.

"You're so cute when you're worried about me." He chuckled, then relaxed for her to heal his wounds some more. For three days, he was stuck in a hospital bed, Keilala attending to him diligently.

On the day he was released, he made a decision that would change everything.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Memories and broken hearts

"_Kisame!!! WAIT!!!" Keilala ran through the forest, trying to catch her one and only friend. Tears streamed down her face. 'Please…' her mind raced. 'Please don't leave me all alone too!' "Come back!!!" The tall, shark-like young man turned to her and frowned._

"_Keilala… what are you doing here?!?!?! You could be killed!!!" His piercing glare shot through her and struck her deep in her heart._

"_Please, don't go! I… I don't know…" He looked away from his oldest friend, to anything that would keep him from seeing how much pain he was causing her._

"_Look… I can't stay in a village where no one wants me! No one cares."_

"_I CARE!" Her words hit him in the gut. "Isn't that enough?!?! Hasn't it been enough for all of this time!?!" Her eyes overflowing with tears, she held out her hand. "Come back Kisame… We can fix this! Together! You don't have to go running off with some crazy group of wanted criminals! You're not like them!" He glared at her furious._

"_How am I not? Keilala… I've killed most of the other swords men, and you are the only Katana-wielder left in the village. I can't kill you, because your sword keeps me from draining your chakra. Otherwise, you'd be dead too." Her heart shattered into a million pieces. _

"_Please, Kisame… Not you too… Don't go and leave me too…" Tears fell from her eyes and soaked the ground. "Kisame… Please stay! You're all I have left… If you leave, then I'll… I'll be all alone again…" He snorted._

"_So?"_

"_Don't you care about me anymore, Kisame?!?!" Her words struck a chord in him. Of course he cared… otherwise… He wouldn't be leaving. In a flash Kisame appeared infront of Keilala._

"_Keilala… It's not that I don't care… It's that I care too much… I… I can't let you get hurt by them." Quickly he kissed her lips, for the first and most likely the last time. He memorized it, memorized the taste of her lips. She tasted like pure sweet pomegranites. "Keilala… I love you… please forgive me." In a puff of smoke, he was gone. Keilala wept bitterly at the loss, but mostly because he had finally told her what she'd always wanted to hear…_

_He loved her_

"Keilala!!! Wait!!!" Turning, Keilala looked down at the young kunochi who was her little sister. In looking down, she saw the tears fall and remembered all too well this scene. "Please!!!"

"What Hakuto? I don't have all day!" She glared down in annoyance. The scene was the same, but the feelings and motives weren't. Keilala despised Hakuto, her little sister. _Mother and Father never abandoned her, she never lost her best friend… her only love… I care nothing for her, so I should just end this quickly…_ "Spit it out, before I kill you." Hakuto cringed at the malice in her sister's voice.

"Don't go!!! Mother and Father said that they'll accept you again! Just don't go casing after this ghost anymore!!! You almost died last time!!!" Keilala glared as she remembered all to well her recent attempt to find Kisame…

_She had been following a lead trail, all of the clues and signs matched. The size of the step matched Kisame's gait to height ratio, and the size of the print only made her believe even more that it really was Kisame's trail. But then a chakra flare caught her attention, and she whirled to see a man with white, slicked back hair and an Akatsuki cloak standing behind her._

"_Well, what do we have here? A little whore." She growled at him and drew Drago from it's sheath. Brilliant gold light blinded her adversary, and in a fit of rage, he came at her with a three-bladed scythe. "You little bitch!!!"_

_At every attack, she ducked and twirled out of his way. Dancing about him in the manner taught by her sensei's past, she looked for an opening. Finally finding one, she stabbed in with Drago. But all too late, she realized that he had done that a purpose, to lure her in. His scythe cut her shoulder deep, and drew blood. Keilala leapt back a few paces, then paused. She watched as he drew a familiar symbol on the ground in his blood._

"_Crap." She muttered to herself. Well, it could have been worse. At least she couldn't die, just like the Jashinist before her._

"_You're in for it now, bitch… Jashin will have your fucking soul and I hope he torments you a thousand fucking years!!!" He grinned and stabbed himself. The pain was intense, but nothing she wasn't used to. A few more pikes were driven through his body, and Keilala numbed her pain and healed her wounds expertly. "What the fuck?!?! You're supposed to be dead, or at least screaming in pain and begging for mercy!"_

"_Wrong." She stood and drew Drago again. "If you were smart, and knew something about the Mist, then you might recognize my blade." He stared at it, then at her._

"_Well?"_

"_You can't honestly tell me that you don't know of the Immortal Dragon Blade."_

"_Wait… Oh, Kisame mentioned something like this…" At the mention of his name, Keilala went ballistic._

"_Kisame? As in Kisame Hoshigaki?!?! Where is he???" He pressed her blade to the Jashinists throat._

"_First, I'm not telling you. Second, cut off my head and yours goes too."_

"_Well, I am immortal like you and I can repair any damage I get automatically. I don't think I have to worry." She pressed the blade closer to his jugular. "Where is Kisame?"_

"_Go to hell."_

"_You first, bastard." She sliced his head and caught hers easily as it fell. Placing it atop her shoulders again, she kicked the head of the squabbling Jashinist about three miles away, into a tree. "I always make my mark."_

"I wasn't going to die, Hakuto. I'm immortal and I am a medic shinobi. I can take care of myself." Hakuto's eye's welled up with tears.

"I…I just don't want to lose you again, sis…" Suddenly, Hakuto found Drago embedded in her abdomen to the hilt. Blood gushed from her mouth and she coughed her last breath.

"I don't care what you had to say… they always did like you best." Keilala pulled out her sword from her siblings body and let it fall to the ground. Suddenly, Nakai Kaji, her father, appeared and gazed down in horror at his youngest daughters body lying in a pool of blood.

"Keilala… By the order of the Mitzakage… I have to arrest you. Not only for conspiracy to destroy the Mist, but also for the murder of Hakuto Kaji… your own sister…" Keilala laughed.

"What can they do to me 'father'? I cannot die, and any wound inflicted on me will heal instantly… so what can they do?" She grinned down at him.

"They… they…. Can take Drago from you, and lock you away forever… as it should be." He charged her, but just before he reached her…

"NO!" A large male in an Akatsuki cloak slammed Nakai away from Keilala. But in doing so he knocked her back a ways. Dust clouded the scene, as Keilala and Nakai tried to make out the identity of the man. Keilala knew first.

"Y-you…."


	3. Chapter 3 I missed you too

"Y-you…" Keilala looked up at the man, and he gazed back at her. The face was older, the form taller, but the trademark weapon and the feel of him were familiar. "…Kisame…"

"Keilala… get up, you are coming with me." She looked up at him, first in shock, then rage.

"What is this? First you abandon me, and now you come back, almost nine years later, and order me to come with you!?!?! Make up your mind…" He turned and she instantly regretted her words. Not because he was angry, but because he seemed… hurt. Actually hurt.

"If it was my choice, Keilala, none of it would have happened. But it has, and I'm _asking_ you now, come with me." He held out his hand and Keilala stepped towards him, emotions long dead coming to light within her again.

"Kisame… Why did you leave?"

"Not here. Not now."

"When?"

"I'll tell you when we're far from here, and safe." Safe. Keilala almost laughed. She hadn't felt safe since the day he'd left. But here he was, asking her to come with him, and not leaving her behind this time. She nodded and took his hand.

"Alright…" She placed her hand in his. A squeak of surprise escaped her as he lifted her into his arms bridal style.

"Oh, don't tell me you forgot this…?" A smirk played upon his lips as she blushed furiously.

"Stop playing with me, Kisame, you butt!" He grinned at the Kunochi in his arms and chuckled.

"Oh, wonderful! Not only do I have to bring in my own daughter for murder, but I have to take out the last surviving of the Seven Swordsmen as well!" Nakai stood up all of the way and took a defensive position.

"Well, really you don't _have_ to do that, Nakai-san. You _want_ to." With that, Kisame leapt into the trees and began to run for the Akatsuki base. Keilala threw kunai and senbon at her father as he followed, soon killing him as well. They traveled for the rest of the day, soon coming to a village not far from their destination.

"Keilala, we have to get a hotel for the night… and that damned Kakuzu only gave me enough money for one…"

"It's fine Kisame. Remember, we used to live in the same hut with only two rooms in it. One hotel room is no different." They went to one that was nearest to their trail, and inquired about a room. The man at the desk sized them up and told them.

"We only have one room right now, and it's only got one bed." Both froze for a second, then resigned to their fate.

"We'll take it, since this is the only hotel we have the time to stay in." Kisame paid the man, and walked up to the room, with Keilala in tow.

"Kisame, how early must we rise to get to the base in time?"

"Well, if we include showering and all… six a.m." The kunochi nodded and followed her old friend to the room, feeling very tired and worn down from the day.

I looked at Kisame as he opened the door and let me in first. He was a gentleman as always, and I smiled upon the memories that came. I was so caught up in them, that I almost didn't hear Kisame move behind me. Almost. His arms snaked around my waist, and his head came to rest in the crook of my neck.

"Keilala-chan… I'm sorry…" Turning to my one and only true friend, I saw the pain of his regret.

"I forgive you, Kisame… I… I never thought I'd ever see you again… All I want to know, is… why?" He looked around the room, as if asking the wall and the few furnishings for the answers to the questions that only he could answer. Kisame sighed and sat on the bed, pulling me into his lap.

"It's a very long story... so I hope you'll sleep well after this…"

_Kisame's Flashback_

"_Ngh! NO! Leave Keilala-chan out of this! I won't let you lay a hand on her!" A nineteen-year-old Kisame fought to keep the strange teens in the cloaks away from his only friend. He would never let them even see her, speak to her… If anything happened to his beloved Keilala…_

"_But Kisame… Her "factor" could help our organization greatly… unless you're willing to take her place." The oldest of the rag-tag group at that point, a twenty-nine year old man named Kakuzu, stepped forward. "our leader wants her or you… both is preferred, but only one will do." Kisame shook with rage and stepped forward, brandishing Samehada._

"_I'll come… just leave Keilala-chan out of this!" Nodding, Kakuzu sighed._

"_Fine… fine… as long as you give us your all and forget about her, we'll leave her be… unless she gets to be a problem." Days after that, Kisame did the hardest thing he ever could do in his entire life… and for nine years, it nearly killed him._

Kisame studied Keilala's face as she sat and thought about what he had just said. He hadn't wanted to leave her. Never in a million years would he make the same mistake if he knew just how it would hurt. But now it was over, and they were together again.

"You caused quite a bit of trouble for Hidan there, Lala… They were tempted to send Kakuzu after you, and he was rearing to go after the way you messed up his new toy…"

"What do you mean by 'His new toy?' Don't tell me they're gay." Kisame nodded.

"'Fraid so. It's really a pain when they use the torture devices at night. All that screaming…" A glint suddenly came into his eyes. Keilala knew instantly what was 'up' and growled.

"No… I'm not sleeping with you… not _that_ way."

"What?! Don't tell me you're lesbian?!"

"Wah-? NO! Kisame you perv!" Chuckling, Kisame snatched the pillow out of her grasp just in time to keep it from hitting his head. Then he placed an oh-so-light kiss upon her soft, sweet lips.

"We really should get to bed now, Keilala-chan… good night." He slid her off of his lap and went into the bathroom to change into a pair of boxer shorts. When he came out, he raised an eyebrow at Keilala's garb. She wore a white t-shirt and yellow shorts that did hardly a thing to cover up her shapely, gorgeous legs.

' Good night Kisame." She got under the covers and rolled over to one side of the bed. Kisame entered the other side and wrapped his arms around Keilala's waist.

"Just for good measure." He nuzzled her cheek. "I really missed you… good night."


End file.
